For budget-conscious dwelling cooks, using stew meat in recipes is a dandy way to stretch a dollar!

From soups and stews to stew meat is cooked low and tiresome until fork-tender. It'due south perfect for countless recipes but how exercise you know what meat is the best?

A steak and cubed stew meat on a cutting board.

What is Stew Meat?

Stew meat mostly comes from the tougher, larger parts of animals similar cows, elk, deer, or pigs. Beef stew meat typically comes from the large shoulder of a moo-cow, more commonly called "chuck". But roast, tiptop and bottom circular, tips, and fifty-fifty steak tin be used as stew meat.

When purchasing beefiness stew meat at the store, it can often be a mixture of bits and pieces left over from cut up larger cuts of meat into steaks and roasts.

Many home cooks prefer to use chuck because it is consistent in cooking fourth dimension and texture and the results are tender and juicy!

What Kind of Meat For Beef Stew?

For beef stew, there is no better cut of meat than chuck! Buy a thick chuck pot roast and cut it into chunks for the all-time tender season.

Chuck roast is a tougher cut of meat than sirloin or rib roast which really benefits from pressure level cooking or ho-hum cooking making the best beef stew! Force per unit area cooking or slow cooking breaks down tough fibers so the beefiness pieces become melt in your mouth tender.

Stew Meat is also a good option for the busy and budget-conscious cook. As beefiness stew meat tends to be a mixture of $.25 and pieces some bits tin can have a different texture when stewing.

In the image beneath, the meat on the left is chuck and has consistent texture and marbling throughout, the meat on the right is buy stew meat of which some is very lean. I definitely find that chuck is the best for a stew recipe.

Stew meat cubed on a cutting board

How to Cook Stew Meat

Browning in flour adds to the flavor and tenderness of stew meat.

  1. Cut pieces of stew meat into even-sized portions. Remove any large pieces of fat.
  2. Place them in a bowl with seasoned flour and toss to evenly coat.
  3. Saute them in a little oil or butter (bacon grease adds extra flavor) until browned.

Tips for Browning Stew Meat

  • Use butter or oil to coat the pan.
  • Dark-brown beef in small batches for all-time results.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan or the juices will keep the beefiness from forming a chaff.
  • Do not stir the beef, allow a deep crust to class before turning.
  • Add together liquid to scrape any brown $.25 (deglaze the pan) and add them to your recipe. These brown bits are full of flavour.

How to Make Stew Meat Tender

Most beef stew meat comes from the tougher cuts, but that doesn't hateful it has to turn out tough!

Low and slow is the name of the game here. Be sure to take adequate liquid in the pot, casserole dish, crockpot, or Instant Pot and cook it for the required time outlined in the recipe! This will ensure the all-time texture and flavor.

If your stew meat is tough, information technology most ofttimes needs More time.

Recipes using Stew Meat

  • Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
  • Beef Tips & Gravy
  • Hungarian Goulash
  • Crockpot Beefiness Stew
  • Beef Stroganoff Soup
  • Easy Homemade Beef Stew
  • Beefiness & Guinness Stew

Stew Meat on a cutting board with writing

Close up of Stew Meat with writing

beef Stew Meat on a cutting board with a title

before and after cutting up beef for Stew Meat

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday habitation cook!

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